Setting up for success
Software is now an integral part of any modern print business. Whether this is management information systems helping users to keep track of their processes, or colour management software running the rule over colours, these products are crucial to print production.
The same can be said for RIP (raster image processor) and pre-flight software products, which play a major role in the success of print jobs of all shapes and sizes. Quality investment in these solutions is critical if you are to achieve high quality and accurate results time after time.
O Factoid: RIP translates computer vector files such as PDF, JPG, InDesign and Photoshop to a raster image composed out of a matrix of dots that a printer can understand and print O
Here, we speak with providers of this software technology and find out more about their latest products and how these solutions can help improve printed output further.
Reliable and compliant
First up is Enfocus, which develops software for PDF pre-flight and editing, print automation workflow and job file onboarding. Piet De Pauw, head of marketing at Enfocus, argues that quality RIP software is arguably the most important investment in print production.
Enfocus describes its Switch product as the most open workflow development platform available on the market
“The RIP absolutely must be reliable, industry standard compliant, and nearly infallible,” De Pauw explains, adding: “This software converts digital files into dots on paper, so no matter what variation of files comes in, expected results must come out. In order to ensure that RIP can maintain expected results, high quality pre-flight software needs to be in place.
“You get what you pay for. RIPs and pre-flight software are simply not the place to pinch pennies. A business will end up paying far more in rework, waste and angry customers than they will have saved by skimping on key software.
Enfocus counts Enfocus PitStop, which De Pauw bills as an industry standard prepress tool for PDF validation and repair, among its products. De Pauw says this solution gives pre-press the ability to quickly pre-flight and comprehensively correct PDF files, helping save time and money when it comes to producing work.
The company also offers Enfocus Switch, which he describes as the most open workflow development platform available on the market.
“Switch allows workflow developers to connect everything with everything,” De Pauw says, adding: “What we mean by that is Switch is an open platform with Node.js scripting built on. This gives users the ability to bring all of their subsystems into one unified workflow.”
Enfocus also offers Enfocus BoardingPass, a PDF job file checker for customer service agents, as well as Enfocus Connect, a PDF pre-flight and delivery tool aimed at both designers and agencies and helping make the whole process easier.
Improving print efficiency
Elsewhere and Solimar Systems provides software to the print and digital communication delivery industries. Jonathan Malone-McGrew, senior director of engagement at Solimar, says the importance of pre-flight and RIP software is based on the need for efficient processes that allow for work to flow into the organisation and production environment, progressing through delivery to the intended destination and recipient.
Jonathan Malone-McGrew, senior director of engagement at Solimar
“RIP technology and pre-flight/prepress software have the goal of improving print efficiency and time to market,” Malone-McGrew says, adding: “Pre-flight/prepress software seeks to make improvements to the files coming into and through the production environment so that they are smaller in size, free of errors that would impede the RIP’s ability to process at rated speed, and optimised for the destination device.
“The quality of the software and hardware impacts how many people have to interact with your pre-flight and prepress processes, as well as how much time will elapse prior to submitting work to the RIP and output devices. The more places people have to intervene in the pre-flight/prepress processes, the more opportunity there is to add time and costs to the production processes.
“It is key to making sure your software and hardware technology is ready to handle today’s work in the most efficient way while being strategically positioned to meet your future business growth requirements.
It is key to making sure your software and hardware technology is ready to handle today’s work in the most efficient way”
“Finally, an important note is a differentiation we make between pre-flight and prepress or make-ready software. Prepress and/or make-ready software generally indicates the ability to take the next step after the identification of the problems and provide an automated and repeatable correction process so manual intervention is required less often.”
In terms of how Solimar can help, Malone-McGrew picks out some new developments in this area, including advancement with its Chemistry platform he says are key to printers accepting and using PDF in their print environments. These advancements, he says, came via current and prospective print provider customers who made the supplier aware that their needs were not being met, especially in PDF-centric printing environments.
Solimar’s ReadyPDF is the aggregation of multiple technologies and libraries found in other PDF optimisation solutions
Malone-McGrew explains that the ReadyPDF solution is the aggregation of multiple technologies and libraries found in other PDF optimisation solutions available today. However, he adds it is differentiated by Solimar’s in-house developed technology that is proven in customer environments to process large PDF files that other solutions fail on.
“It optimises the file structures, replaces fonts, controls colour spaces including detecting and changing rich black to pure K and/or applying ICC colour profiles, and can automate the entire process through templated automation built-in as a standard feature and deployment methodology,” Malone-McGrew says.
Drive success
Another specialist in this area is Atlantic Tech Services, which supplies the ColourSURE Print & Cut RIP. Managing director Keith Pratt says that a quality RIP is important for all customer demands and underinvestment could harm business.
“One of the biggest dangers is that underinvestment means business owners miss out on various production tool benefits such as ink limiting and job costing features together with workflow benefits such as repeatability, profiling, automatic contour cut creation, white and gloss generation, all of which are done within the ColourSURE RIP instead of the use of third-party applications,” Pratt comments.
“Where the ColourSURE Print & Cut RIP scores is that it gives the single user and the multiple user many features and benefits that you will find in the more expensive RIPs at an affordable price and performance. ColourSURE RIP offers the opportunity to drive multiple manufacturers’ printers from one RIP to ColourSURE RIP with unmatched workflow, flexibility, connectivity and above all, ease of use for the operator or business owner.”
ColourSURE Print & Cut RIP software includes custom drivers and colour profiles for most widely used solvent and UV printers, which Pratt says offers the flexibility to add an additional printer or cutter at any time, as well as optional extras such as automatic job sorting, improved ink usage controls and visual print positioning.
“Key to all our activities with the supply of new and refurbished printers is the ColourSURE Print & Cut RIP as we install this RIP with our new AZON installation and our refurbished Mimaki printer installation to offer increased productivity with reduced costs benefits to all our customers,” Pratt says.
“Additionally, the successes we have achieved with the premium NUtec UV inks has significantly increased reputation and our sales of refurbished Mimaki UCJV, JFX, UJF printers.”
Greater understanding
Also well placed to help is CorelDRAW, which offers the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite that offers users functions such as vector illustration, layout and typography, and photo editing. Klaus Vossen, senior product manager at CorelDRAW, says investment in this area is key as printers are unable to understand the language of graphics files without the help of RIP software.
The CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has RIP functionality built in
“RIP software takes your final graphics file and translates it into something the printer can understand,” Vossen explains, adding: “CorelDRAW has this functionality built in and is able to preview the document as it will appear when it’s reproduced by a specific printer or how it will be displayed on a specific monitor before the files are sent to their final destination, removing the risk of unwanted results in the final printed product.
“CorelDRAW and Corel PHOTO-PAINT come with integrated colour management tools to ensure accurate colour representation throughout the design workflow, while also considering the devices and materials that are being used, alleviating the risk of costly reprints or re-publications. These tools are especially helpful when opening documents that were created in other applications and when sharing files with clients or colleagues.”
CorelDRAW recently released a series of updates for the CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, with the aim of offering a flexible and more affordable way to stay up to date with productivity-boosting dynamic asset management and collaboration workflow enhancements, integrated access to the Google Fonts library, creative templates and other functions.
CorelDRAW’s new Multi-asset Export also helps users to save time with a range of options for outputting pages and objects, with the ability to create a customised list of assets to export with one click.
“Our software enables designers and graphics pros to tackle the creative side of the production process, producing a final graphics file that’s exported and interpreted by the RIP or digitising software for output,” Vossen adds.
From speaking with market experts, RIP and pre-flight software products should be seen as key parts of the modern print business, allowing users to take greater control over their production process and improve their overall service offering.
Your text here...
